B smithi

[Mandy Willis]

Hi everyone hope you have had a merry christmas my B Smithi shed on christmas day but he / she does not flip over onto his /her back it sheds the right way up is this a common occurance? the last few times this has happened this time it made a nice web and just sat on top of it and started shedding has anyone else had this happen mandy

[Stanley A. Schultz]

Hi everyone hope you have had a merry christmas my B Smithi shed on christmas day but he / she does not flip over onto his /her back it sheds the right way up is this a common occurance? the last few times this has happened this time it made a nice web and just sat on top of it and started shedding has anyone else had this happen mandy

Not common, but not that rare either. There are people who are convinced that if they don't roll over to shed, their spider's going to die.

I'm just a tad skeptical about that point of view. Because I've never seen one shed in its burrow, I'm not sure what orientation they use in the wild. Who knows? Maybe a tarantula in it's burrow almost always sheds right side up, only rarely rolling over because of space limitations. Or, head down. Or, head up. Except that spiders don't have heads. Well, you get the idea.

Enjoy your right-side-up tarantula, which shouldn't be upside-down, except when it's molting, but now is right-side-up when it should be upside-down. I have a head ache. I need a couple aspirins.

[TabbieNorton]

I have had two molt on their sides, one molt straight up but to my knowledge MOST the old fashioned way of on their back. I think the weirdest one I had was a B. albopilosum that molted standing on its back legs, upright in its burrow! I actually photo documented the whole thing! Let me know I will put up the pics.

As long as your little smithi is ok then all is good. Congrats on the molt!

[Mandy Willis]

hi

thankyou both for your help i feel better now and my spider is ok if you do have pictures i would love to see them i didnt take photos to busy panicking that he / she would die

[Nicola Dolby]

I've had a couple of P. rufilatas moult on their sides during the past week, I think it has in this case though a lot to do with their environment, one wrapped a load of moss round to moult on but had to stop when the bark tube sides got in the way! or maybe they just felt more comfortable.

[matthew spooner]

coinsidence

what a coinsidence mandy, my b.smithi shed on christmas day too. and the right way up on a layer of web, how strange

[TabbieNorton]

Hi Mandy,

Here is the B. albopilosum "Ewok". She was in her burrow straight up and down and it took all my will power not to disturb her as I was positive something would go wrong and I was babysitting her for my friend! I had to take the pictures through the side of the container for the most part. It was the weirdest molt yet in my house though I am sure there will be others!

[Mandy Willis]

shedding

thankyou for the replys and pictures and mathew perhaps our smithis are related, i have kept ts for many years and never had one shed this way before so its nice to hear that others have had the same i suppose there are no rules for spiders shedding even though i did have a chat with mine christmas day but i shall wait and see what happens the next time